Safe Routes to School

The Tootin' Hills Safe Routes to School Committee helps promote, organize and host on-going, chaperoned opportunities for our students to walk to school. We hope to draw attention to the possibilities and need for safer walking routes/paths within the Tootin' Hills School area.

Would you like to join our committee? Want more information? If so, please contact the Tootin' Hills PTO today at tootinhillspto@gmail.com. Thank you!

Children and parents walked/biked to school nearly 100 times as part of Walking/Biking Wednesdays.

June 2011

The Connecticut Safe Routes to School team presented a town wide information session at the Simsbury Public Library.

August 2011

The Town of Simsbury applied for an infrastructure grant to make walking and biking safer. Unfortunately we found out in March 2012 that we did not get the grant, but we will keep trying to improve our community and make it more walkable and bikable!

October 2011

We celebrated International Walk to School Day with beautiful weather, and at least 158 children walking to biking to Tootin’ Hills! Dozens of parents participated too. Thank you to the Safe Routes to School Committee, the Wellness Committee, the Simsbury Police, volunteer chaperones, Mr. Perrault, Mr. Luzietti, and the whole Tootin' Hills Community!

October 2013

The weather was picture perfect for a walk to school on this year's International Walk to School Day! In total, 247 children made their way to school along trails, through woods and on dirt roads in celebration of International Walk to School Day, representing 62% of the total student population! Thank you to the Safe Routes to School Committee, the Wellness Committee, parent chaperones (some with toddlers and dogs in tow), flag-waving teachers, the Simsbury Police Department, Mrs. Reese, and Mr. Cazzetta! We also want to note some of the very special guests who decided to start their day in our corner of town: Steve Mitchell - a member of the Board of Trustees for the East Coast Greenway Alliance; Pattie Smith Jacobus - Co-Director, Simsbury Free Bike and Co-Chair, Simsbury Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Committee; Debbie Thibodeau - Chair, Latimer Lane Safe Routes to School Committee and member, Simsbury Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Committee; Matt Curtis, Sue Homrok-Lemke and Burke LaClair from the Simsbury Board of Education; Members of Simsbury’s Board of Selectmen, including Mary Glassman, Lisa Heavner, Shannon Knall and Nancy Haase; State Representative John Hampton; Cheryl Cook, Commissioner of the Simsbury Housing Authority; and, Jennifer Senofonte from the Valley Press. Additional thanks go to our local TCBY franchise for providing frozen yogurt coupons for every participant.

October 2014

Well, the weather was not ideal for this year's International Walk to School Day, but that didn't keep our students from coming out in droves! In all, around 165 students made their way to school on foot or bike! Thank you to the MANY volunteers that made this special event happen, especially our key organizers - Hedy Ayers, Susan Masino, Tania Enxuto, Dawn Cohen, Heather Orosz, Johanna Merriman and Julie Pepper! Thank you to the Wellness Committee, parent chaperones, teachers, the Simsbury Police Department, and Mr. Cazzetta!